Clouds Adrift the Wind
by eostellary
Summary: A collection of shorts surrounding ShikaTema post-marriage. Requests welcome but let us keep it light and happy! CH4: Desert Lily
1. Awakening

A/N: Ahaha, hello, hello! Yours truly is back! If you follow me on tumblr, you might have noticed that I wrote something about writing the multi-chap ShikaTema that some of you asked for. Well, this is NOT it. You see, I was in the middle of writing the first chapter and when it got a little dramatic, a plot bunny pestered me! This honestly ran way longer than I intended but damn, I am happy about it. Hoho. Anyways, this is a one-shot collection and it won't be following a strict timetable, save for the fact that it happens post-ShikaTema marriage...so mostly about married life and family. If you have any requests or ideas about oneshots that you want written, feel free to drop me a line! I will try my best to accomplish them. The rating is T, but that is subject to change, of course! I'll adjust it accordingly when the time comes.

Several important things for this universe of ShikaTema though... They have four kids. Shikadai is a given in respect to canon. Six years younger than him is Sayuri. Ten years younger than Shikadai and four years younger than Sayuri are Jiromaru and Miyuki. Please consider that when making requests. Hoho. I really would have loved if ShikaTema had more than one kid but naaaah, Kishi deprived us of it!

Dai is 12 here, Yuri is 6, the twins are 2, but those facts don't matter much in the story. I just thought you should know. So here you go...the first one shot in this collection!

* * *

She was about to reprimand her assistant when she came bustling in her small office in the Hokage tower. Of all the petty things that ticked her off, it was the sound of a door slamming open that gave her annoyance _and_ nervousness. The ambassadress could barely hide her surprise when the chuunin delivered the news.

Temari dropped everything and fled. Her eldest son was in the hospital and under intensive care.

The pounding in her chest was as quick as her footfalls against the ground. The logical part of her reasoned that it didn't matter how soon she got to the hospital as she was no medic-nin. Ino was there. Sakura was there. All she is left with is waiting for whatever the outcome may be. However, her maternal instincts kicked in, making her stomach twist in ways that could only be relieved by running.

As soon as she arrived at the intensive care wing of Konoha's hospital, her throat constricted and her head felt light. She could feel her knees buckle at the sight of her son lying down on the operating table, unconscious. For a moment, she was relieved when she saw pink and platinum blonde tufts of hair moving about as they worked to ease Shikadai's condition.

Temari was about to sink to the floor when a strong arm went around her waist and a fist firmly (yet not painfully) pounded once on her back. Suddenly, her reflex to breathe returned and she sagged against her husband's form. Only then did she allow her eyes to close, so that she could stop the world from spinning.

She felt his hands move about her. Shikamaru removed the clasp of her Tessen and set her weapon down on the bench gingerly. Then, she felt herself being gathered and lifted up. Instinctively, Temari's head tucked on his shoulder for comfort as he sat them down on one of the chairs in the area.

The ambassadress couldn't even find it in her to care if she looked dignified or not, cradled on her husband's lap. Her mind was far from her own appearance and was very much with her firstborn's current state. The silence weighed down on her like a heavy magnet dragging her towards the ground. When she couldn't last a minute in it longer, she shifted and spoke.

"How much longer?" she asked, voice not above a whisper. Temari sought more of Shikamaru's comforting warmth, though his own erratic heartbeat was synchronising with her own panic.

The Hokage advisor sighed and shook his head before he buried his face into her blonde hair. "I'm sorry, Temari. I don't know."

A jagged breath that sounded like a scoff escaped her lips, though she didn't find his unawareness a fault. No one had come to talk to them yet as the situation was premature and the medic team in charge of Shikadai was probably still running diagnoses.

Several minutes passed and Yoshino arrived in the wing. Temari pulled herself away from her husband to acknowledge her mother-in-law. Looking up at the older Nara, the Suna princess' lip quivered at the sight of her crest-fallen face.

She didn't know how it happened, but Temari felt extremely guilty at the moment. It seemed that she had indulged far too much in her worry that she forgot that the situation affected the rest of her family, as well. "Kaa-san, I'm so—"

Yoshino silenced her with a gentle wave of her hand. Temari let out a breath when the elder Nara patted her shoulder. "It's all right, dear. You are allowed to be worried for your son."

Nodding, Temari focused on steadying her breath. Half an hour of waiting seemed like it was already half a day especially without news regarding Shikadai's circumstance. However, she knew she had to place her trust in her friends. They haven't ever let her down before; she was sure they weren't going to let her and her whole family down.

"Sayuri and the twins? Who's looking after them?" Temari asked as she found her voice once more. Her mind scattered at the thought of her three younger children, who probably were confused when their Obaa-chan had to go to tend to something urgent.

Vaguely, she wonders how to explain the whole thing to them. The twins wouldn't really ask, as they were too young to comprehend what was happening but Sayuri was as observant as she and her husband. The child would definitely ask why Mama, Papa, and Nii-chan didn't come home like they promised when night fell.

"Hakuto-san is; don't worry. They were napping when I left," Yoshino assured her softly, which brought a tentative smile to her face.

True enough, it was quickly wiped away when Ino emerged from the room with a chart in her hands. She clutched the clipboard tighter when she saw how distressed her friend was but she swallowed down her own emotions as she needed to stay professional when she discussed her nephew's case.

"Here," she said, handing Shikadai's chart to Temari. "It could very well have been blood poisoning but his own chakra seemed to prevent that from happening. We don't exactly know what happened in the latest Ino-Shika-Cho training, but Karui described it the best she could. She said that Shikadai summoned Earthy particles out of nowhere but instead of hurling them to the wooden target, these particles entered his body and combined with his chakra flow and bloodstream.

"Sakura and I managed to rid his vital organs of the particles and we're now working on the rest of his body. The initial findings on the particles show that Shikadai summoned neodymium, iron, boron, and nickel all at once. Do you guys have any idea how he could have done it?"

Temari's anxious eyes turned to her husband and searched his face for answers. Whether it was deliberate or not, Shikamaru had a clueless expression on his face before he began to think about the situation and its possible implications. Her own mind ran and before Shikamaru did, the ambassadress arrived at the only possible conclusion.

She stood up from her nestle on Shikamaru's lap and clutched her son's chart tighter in her gloved hands. Temari swallowed allowed herself to look at Shikadai's unconscious body before she turned away to address the people watching her.

Her jaw tightened and she swallowed her dread for a while. "It's the Kazekage clan's Kekkei Genkai. Otou-sama had it. Gaara has it to some extent. I never expected for it to awaken within my own son."

"Jiton…" she heard her husband mumble as if he were trying to wrap his head around the newly-established fact. Temari sat down next to Ino and handed the chart back to her. The constriction in her chest was back as she contemplated on the words that she was about to say.

Clearing her throat slightly, Temari found herself gripping the edge of her yukata tightly. "Ino, leave about 10% in total of the metals around his chakra gates, although considerably less around Shimon."

The medic-nin's eyes widened significantly. "What? But those are so close to his vital organs! You can't possibly ask us to—"

" _I know_ , Ino," Temari pressed, cutting her off brusquely. "Don't you think I know that?!"

The medic's mouth closed into a thin line as she observed her friend. Whatever Temari has to say was certainly important so she waited for it. She, herself, didn't have an experience with the Magnet Release kekkei genkai but Temari did so she was going to listen. Ino allowed herself a frown when Temari put her face in her hands.

After calming herself, the ambassadress sat up once more. "It's the only way Shikadai will be safe. It's a great risk to take but it's better to take it now than have a repeat of this. He needs to start getting immune to the metals he is able to summon, else, it will result in actual blood poisoning the next time it happens."

Ino was having a hard time processing her friend's request and her conflict showed very much on her face. It was against the decree of medical ninjutsu to deliberately leave traces of what would have been fatal to the patient. Her own fist balled the fabric of her skirt before she nodded hesitantly. "Fine," she managed to choke out. "Fine, we'll do that."

"Thank you."

* * *

As soon as she had figured out what had happened to their son, Shikamaru could only witness how Temari turned from highly emotional into an emotionless shinobi on a mission. The worry in him ebbed away as soon as he saw her steadfast expression. They needed to do something, it seemed. A ritual or a procedure of some sort that Magnet Release users need to undergo as soon as they awakened to the kekkei genkai.

Shikamaru let his wife lead the process of preparing everything they needed for their firstborn, which included an empty room. He could only watch as Temari began to draw a seal that he was unfamiliar with on the floor. With all his genius, he couldn't predict what was going to happen in the next few hours or so. He trusted his wife to let him know, but for now, he obeyed her every request which included moulding his chakra.

"This is a Kazekage clan seal specifically created to help the kekkei genkai users to acclimate to their new ability," she started to explain, finally. Shikamaru nodded in understanding. "You're going to have to bind him on the seal. Back in Suna, we had to manually hold down people but we found that a little extreme since the people who helped in holding down the users suffer from minor limb damage in response to the overflow of the Jiton's summons."

Shikamaru placed a reassuring hand on her lower back, a silent promise that he will assist her in every step of the way to bring their son out of the woods. He felt a tremble which turned into a series of tremors and the Nara clan head took his wife into his arms once more.

"He is…" she tried to say but the tears flowed out now, making her sob. "He is going to be in a world of pain when this happens, Shika. And…a-and…they don't…they don't always s-survive—"

Such was the reason, it seemed, that there were very few Jiton users in the elemental nations. The truth was there in his face but he had a hard time swallowing it, as much as it pained Temari to do so. Shikamaru cradled her closer to him. "You know, he will. He's your son. He _will_ pull through."

Temari's clung to him was desperate but her sobs have mostly subsided now. Still, he didn't let go of her. Whether he thought she needed the comfort or he was the one who needed it, he wasn't sure.

"He's _our_ son," he heard her correcting him.

"He's our son," Shikamaru repeated firmly.

When the couple managed to rein their emotions in, they parted and shared a tender kiss…a final act to solidify whatever strength and determination they had mustered up for the crucial procedure. Shikamaru parted gently from his wife and panted lightly before placing another kiss on her forehead.

"We won't fail," he said with conviction.

Temari nodded, the look of determination back on her face. "We won't."

It wasn't long before their son was wheeled into the treatment room, and the couple practically leaped towards the stretcher. Shikamaru felt Temari's breath beginning to hitch once more so he grabbed her hand and squeezed firmly, hoping to assure her.

"Kaa…chan?" Shikadai's voice rasped. "Oyaji?"

Temari closed in on their son and pressed a loving kiss on the boy's clammy forehead. She desperately wanted to take her boy into her arms and hold him tight, but his body was still weak and he needs strength to undergo the procedure.

"You're okay, my love," Temari cooed softly, running a hand gingerly on his mop of black hair. "But we need to make sure you're going to be better. Tou-chan and I need you to trust us and stay strong through it, all right?"

The falter and the high-pitched tone was not lost on the intelligent boy. "What's wrong? What's going to happen?"

The blonde kunoichi rested a hand on her son's cheek and tried to smile reassuringly. "You awakened the Jiton…remember, Jii-sama's ability? And Gaara-ojisan's? You have that now and we need to make sure your own power doesn't harm you."

"Thought I only have wind chakra?" the boy queried, his curiosity not wavering even in his current predicament.

Temari managed to chuckle softly. "It seemed you inherited Tou-chan's earth chakra as well, and somehow they formed the jiton. It's really unsurprising now that we think about it, yeah?"

"I guess," Shikadai hummed. "Mendokusai na. Now, I have to train more than the usual."

It was Shikamaru's turn to bark out a laugh. Of course, his son would have to find troublesome things to be troubled by even at his sickbed. It just was the way Nara men of the main family were wired; there was no escaping it.

The Suna native took a breath and shuddered as she let go of her son for the meantime. "Dai…I…we need you to stay strong, okay? Please, tell me you'll try your hardest to endure the procedure."

"Of course. I wouldn't ever disobey you, Kaa-chan," he hummed. "Well, at least not this time."

The mother looked at her child and nodded. While she was relieved at his words, the nervousness in her heart wouldn't settle unless they were done with the ritual. She pressed one last kiss to her son's cheek before she turned to her husband and stepped aside.

Shikamaru gathered Shikadai up in his arms and laid him on the centre of the seal. He made sure that his son was even the slightest bit comfortable, though he knew the effort was futile given the events that would follow. "I'm going to have to bind you while it happens, okay? I'll allow your limbs to have movement so you won't have to suffer any injuries that aren't necessary."

"R-Right…" Shikadai said tentatively.

The father felt the nervousness in his son's voice and he scooted closer to him so that his wife wouldn't hear what he was going to say. Shikamaru wasn't exactly sure how Shikadai's nervousness regarding the whole situation would affect Temari but he wasn't going to take chances.

"Remember what Kaa-chan said, Dai? I really, really need you to bo strong for her, okay?" Shikamaru whispered. "This is one of the most important promises you're going to have to keep for us. Please."

The teal eyes that he got from his mother hardened from uneasiness to determination. It made Shikamaru's chest flutter as the sight was identical to what he sees whenever another certain teal-eyed Nara was on a mission. "Hai, Oyaji."

"Good. You are as brave and unswerving as your mother, son. It's why I am almost never worried about you," he smirked.

The boy smirked weakly in return. "Thanks, Oyaji. I'm ready."

Shikamaru left Shikadai lying down on the centre of the seal and took his place at one of it's edges, opposite his wife. There was nothing but fierce fortitude in Temari now, and he found the sight greatly calming. He felt Sakura and Ino take their place nearby in case something untoward happened, but Shikamaru didn't pay attention to the reason why they were there. Right now, he had something important to do.

In synchrony, they weaved the hand seals and Shikamaru's shadows bound their son on his wrists and ankles. Temari activated the seal and a flash of light brightened the room.

* * *

If it weren't the greatest emotional torture that she had to go through in her life thus far, she didn't know what was. Tears were quick to pool at the corners of her eyes as Shikadai's first pained scream resonated through the whole room.

Temari's whole body was tensed and even though the scene was the most painful to watch, she could not tear her eyes away from her son as he convulsed on the floor. Her mouth hung open and her pained whimpers and gasps were easily drowned out by Shikadai's yelps.

The kunoichi wanted to dig her nails to the ground but the slightest of dents will destroy the whole seal and put her son's life in greater peril. She didn't think she would survive when it was Gaara who underwent the process but the one happening now was a greater anguish to endure. Her face felt flush from the tension and the salty mixture of sweat and tears began to drip down to her neck.

There was nothing she wished more fervently for in that moment than the ability to take her son's agony.

Shikamaru was definitely not doing better. As soon as the ritual started, his head felt light and a dizzy spell was threatening to overcome him. However, he gritted his teeth as he told himself that his son was suffering a greater deal than he did. The Hokage advisor bit his lip until it bled and he dared to check on his wife opposite him.

He almost wished that he didn't. The Nara male had never seen his wife so helpless that she resorted to crying freely. Shikamaru always looked to Temari for resilience, but the scene before him was anything but. His chest tightened and his stomach began to turn on itself.

Shikamaru increased the pressure on his throat so that the bile won't rise. However, he couldn't hold it down for long, he knew. Thankfully, as soon as the urge became far too potent to resist, the light faded and the ritual finished. Releasing his binds on his son, he clutched his stomach and turned, spewing his guts on the floor and breathing heavily.

When she was sure it ended, Temari lifted herself up and, on shaky feet, ran over to where her son was and nestled him in an embrace. She couldn't stop the tears from falling, yet she knew that instead of distress, she was crying in relief now.

"See? I made it," the boy in her arms cockily whispered, the rawness in his throat obvious. His voice was far too small and raspy for her liking, and he seemed as small as he was when she first held him in her arms. The fragility was almost too similar that it gave her another bout against breathing normally.

Temari breathed heavily and her hands shook as she held her son. "You did," she replied, her voice quivering. "You did. I'm so, so proud of you, akachan."

Normally, Shikadai would have protested at the nickname. After all, there were three other Nara kids who were more suitable for the nickname but he understood the gravity of the situation. Hell, he would be a fool if he didn't understand. Every nerve ending in his body reminded him of what he just went through.

"Mattaku, Oyaji," Shikadai groaned as Shikamaru neared. "You smell horrible."

Temari whipped her head to the side to look over her husband. When she found nothing that could explain why, she looked over to the spot where he was for the last few minutes, and found a small pool of vomit. Silently, she questioned him with her eyes.

"I'm okay, now," he assured her with a small smile. Shikamaru turned his attention towards his son and patted his head gently. "Good going, gaki."

Shikadai mustered a small grin, a tired version of his and his mom's identical wide grins. "Thanks."

"How do you feel, akachan?" his mom asked.

His shoulders rose as he attempted to shrug. "I feel every stretch of muscle and skin that I have, but I can't move them all that much. My head kinda stings, though."

"Head…" Temari muttered before she finally felt the thick dampness on her gloved hands. Panic set in her eyes and she whipped her head towards her friends. "Ino! Sakura!"

The two medic-nin's quickly ran over to where the three Nara were and Ino carefully took Shikadai from Temari as Sakura went on to check his head. The pink-haired ninja frowned as she healed the injury. "His head split open, no surprise, but I've healed it now. We're going to take several more precautions in his recovery so we can ensure no brain damage. Gomen, Shikadai-kun. I know you must be craving for rest right now, but we're going to have to keep you awake a little longer."

 _Brain damage._ The words resonated in Shikamaru's mind over and over again. Honestly, it would be the worst thing to happen to anyone, but so much more to a Nara. Their clan prided themselves in having the _brains_ , and if that somehow gets tarnished in his son, he wouldn't know what to do. On instinct, he clutched his wife's hand for comfort.

The distress and worry was well-drawn on Temari's face once more. It seemed that after one ordeal, her son had to go through another. It was like a vicious cycle, and the Suna-Konoha ambassadress was getting sick of it. She gripped her husband's hand firmly to let out some of the tension.

Shikadai looked at his parents and felt extremely uneasy. It was his first time seeing them in such a state. His father was usually level-headed, and his mother was the epitome of unwavering endurance under pressure. As much as it tired him to do so, he laid a hand on their twined ones and tried to squeeze. "I'll be fine."

The contact and his voice brought them out of their shared torment, and the couple looked at their firstborn in surprise. And then surprise turned into wonder. How could they ever doubt him? After all, he was one of the products of their love. He was one of the best of both of them. It wasn't fair to not believe in him.

* * *

By the third time that he was woken up to have his vitals checked, Shikadai had grown irritated at the whole situation. The boy loved to sleep like his father, and being interrupted from it made his mood sour, naturally. He wanted to make a countdown in his mind until the last of these hourly check-ups but he was forbidden to strain his mind and was advised to not think so much.

It was a foolish thing to ask of the son of the two known strategists in the Fire and Wind countries, respectively. Absolutely foolish…but he had no choice.

His parents had kept a vigil in his recovery room, taking turns in sleeping. Neither of them could sleep for more than two hours, though. Yoshino-baachan stayed until sunrise and he appreciated her presence. She wasn't as panic-filled as his parents—which was why he found her very calming, like always—but her concern was just as great.

Sixteen hours after his most painful ordeal thus far, Shikadai had begun to regain his strength. It wasn't enough to resume to his usual activities, but it was enough for him to try and walk around. There were still several wires that were connected to him so he could only do so within his room, but it would have to do for the meantime to sort out the kinks in his muscles.

His dad had gone to retrieve his and mom's paperwork from the Hokage tower so they could stay with him until he was discharged. It left him alone with his mom for a couple of hours so he took the opportunity to ask her the questions he had bubbling in his mind.

Shikadai dragged the tray of machines so he could go near Temari. The act was enough to tire him out so he climbed on her lap and sighed heavily. "I guess I shouldn't have done that."

The wind kunoichi chuckled and wrapped her arms around her boy. "Shouldn't have. What's up?"

"How'd you know?" he asked, looking up at her identical teal eyes.

A smirk formed on his mom's lips and Shikadai blinked twice, awaiting her answer. "You have that same look when your Tou-chan has something weighing heavily on his mind."

The genin grinned a little sheepishly. "Are you going to scold me for thinking too much, Kaa-chan?"

He felt her stomach quake as she let out an indulgent chuckle. "Thinking is easier for us Nara to do rather than not thinking. You'll probably hurt your head more in the effort of suppressing your thoughts, little fawn."

Rolling his eyes, Shikadai huffed slightly. "I guess."

"So, what's your question, Onii-chan?" she probed.

Shikadai constructed and deconstructed the question he had in his mind. "Can you tell me something about the kekkei genkai?"

Temari hummed and looked pensive, gathering her thoughts. "Well, other than the facts that you know, it's an extremely delicate kekkei genkai, difficult to control. Since the human body contains iron in the blood, the kekkei genkai can be destructive to the user if you don't learn how to control it properly. Given the elements that your chakra summoned from the Earth's crust, we're going to have quite the time mastering that ability of yours."

"Why?"

She pursed her lips and sighed softly. "Well, you summoned four elements all at once. It's a grand feat in itself. Your Ojii-sama could only summon gold. Your Gaara-ojisan summons metallic sand. Shinki summons iron. As far as I could remember, yours is the first of its kind, summoning multiple elements."

Shikadai nodded against her chest. "How come you didn't know I have it, Kaa-chan?"

"Gaara got it from our father. Otou-sama got it from his father and so forth. I honestly assumed it was exclusive to the inheritor's ability to propagate the kekkei genkai. Clearly, I didn't inherit it, so I didn't think you or any of your siblings would. And clearly, that was an incorrect assumption," his mom explained. "It's all the work of complicated genetics, Nii-chan."

"So, it's possible that Sayuri, Jiromaru, and Miyuki have inherited it, too?" he dared ask.

Temari blinked, her face hardening for a moment. It was a possibility that she didn't wish to face just yet but her firstborn does tend to surprise her from time to time. "Possible."

The 12-year-old noticed the tension in his mother and wished that he didn't ask the question. The implications, after all, were a little harrowing to think about. "You don't want them to…"

The rigidity on Temari's face melted as she faced her son once more. She took a breath and nodded. "It's obvious why. And the more power the four of you have under your arsenal, the more political things could turn out for us, as a family."

A frown settled upon his lips. "What do you mean, Kaa-chan?"

She let her head fall back against the posterior of the chair she was sitting on. "When your Tou-chan and I decided to start a family, we managed to both agree to keep you away from the politics as much as we could. Our marriage, while very much founded on mutual respect and affection, was followed by a great deal of politics…more so on my side. My side of the family is crucial to Suna, as you know, while Konoha didn't really meddle much into the business of the Nara clan."

"Is it because the Nara aren't really considered when choosing the next Hokage?" Shikadai asked, duly curious.

Temari shook her head. "Not at all. In fact, the Nara are more than qualified to take on the job more than other people, but it's just…well, your grandfather didn't want it even if he were offered. And can you really imagine your Tou-chan as the Hokage?"

"Well—"

"I mean he has the qualifications to do so, but it's just not in Shika's personality to undertake such an audacious position," Temari explained. "Anyway, back to the point. Suna's affairs are more hierarchical than Konoha."

"Yeah, it's weird. We're like royalty there," he said stiffly.

Temari chuckled bitterly. "That's because we are, loathe as I am to admit. See, when your Tou-chan and I got married, the Suna council wanted us to live there. Shikamaru was ready to drop his clan and acquiesce but I didn't have it. I talked to him and said that if we were to have a family, we'll be buried underneath the politics. I didn't want your childhood to be tainted by such. I grew up with politics basically running my life, and I wouldn't wish it on you and your siblings."

"But don't you love Suna?"

She nodded fervently. "I do. I would do anything for Sunagakure, do anything to protect it and uphold its values. However, I cannot find it in myself to offer up my children to be enslaved by its politics. We didn't have the four of you just so one could bear the responsibility of succeeding the 'throne' even before you are born. It's not fair."

"But it's okay if Gaara-ojisan adopts, and makes a protégé and Kazekage candidate in Shinki?" Shikadai asked.

"That's a different case. Gaara took it upon himself to be Kazekage because he wanted the responsibility to care for Sunagakure, and redeem its slightly dark past. It's his life's mission, if you will. He was pressured to adopt Shinki so that he could silence the council, but he will not force the responsibility down Shinki's throat if the boy doesn't want it," Temari explained. "Besides, Gaara is young. There's still a lot of time before he needs to start worrying about successors or whatnot. A soul akin to his might surface somewhere and express his desire to become Kazekage. Until then, Gaara retains the hat."

"Okay then," Shikadai said, understanding. "But what has that got to do with me, Yuri, Jiro, and Yuki?"

"Mm. Well, the Suna council might not be as narrow-minded as they were before, but they still are very much traditional. They would prefer a clan member to succeed Gaara, when it comes to it. Kankuro isn't going to have children anytime soon, and I don't think Gaara will actively pursue a relationship that could bring about an offspring to succeed him," Temari mused. "Naturally, the responsibility of hierarchical succession falls to me, the sole third of the Suna no Sankyodai with natural progeny. And four at that. In short, you four have an even greater claim to the title than Shinki. Even more so now that you have manifested the Kazekage clan's kekkei genkai, and a powerful version at that."

Shikadai's eyebrows crinkled towards the centre at the thought. "Doesn't the Suna council prefer a shinobi who grew up, attended academy, and further trained in Suna?"

"That is what they claim. However, in a bout between keeping the Kazekage succession pure and wanting a purely-bred Suna shinobi for the job, I can't say for sure which one would dominate," Temari said darkly. "We can't say for sure which of the two situations will adhere to their traditional side more."

The genin was silent for a few minutes, as he considered the facts that his mother presented. His hands busied themselves with playing with the fabric of Temari's obi as he did so. "…And if one of us wants the title?"

It was his mom's turn to swim in her thoughts in silence. All the while, Temari had actively kept her children away from the dirty politics of Sunagakure and she has been successful thus far. It hasn't occurred to her that one of her own would be enticed by the Kazekage title, since majority of their lives would be spent in Konoha.

"I'd like to say I'll cross the bridge when we get there but that's a weakling's reasoning and a route for escapism. If one of you would want the title, then who am I to take it away from you? As long as your intentions are clear and your visions are well-defined, your father and I would be powerless against your will. Why ask? You interested, Nii-chan?"

Shikadai looked up at his mother as if she grew a second head.

"No!" he exclaimed, but then he figured he shouldn't really dismiss the idea without giving it much thought and having enough experience in Suna. "I mean…no, it seems too much of a job for me. I wouldn't be surprised if Yuri-chan wants it, though."

Temari raised a brow. "Oh? And why is that?"

"She kinda praises the ground Gaara-ojisan walks on because he spoils her so much. The twins haven't been to Suna so I can't tell who'll be likely to want it, and they're too young," Shikadai reasoned. "Besides, Yuri-chan's…bossy."

Her son's line of reasoning elicited a hearty laughter from the ambassadress. Temari shook her head and kissed her firstborn's forehead. "We'll see. My preference in the end doesn't matter if it comes to that, and what kind of mother would I be if I can't support my kid's decisions?"

Shikadai shrugged. "The deer-tending could hold her back, though. She loves playing with them."

"Mmhmm," she crooned. "So do you, Nii-chan."

"I like them because they are smart," Shikadai grinned before letting out a yawn.

Temari held her son close. "Want me to transfer you to the bed?"

"Nah," Shikadai mumbled as he curled up to his mother. "I'm good here."

"If you're sure…" Temari mumbled.

Shikadai peeked one eye open. "Kaa-chan, how are we going to master my kekkei genkai?"

"We go to the place where it originated, of course," she said, combing hand through his hair tenderly to make him fall asleep faster.

A brow languidly raised. "Won't that let the Suna council know of my ability? Thought you wanted to keep us away from them as much as possible?"

Temari smirked and sighed. "Eh, I'll manhandle them somehow."

"You'll blow them away to the West Desert?" the boy grinned mischievously, as he could just imagine his mom wielding her giant fan.

"Something like that," she promised.

The boy hummed lazily before he succumbed to a much-needed naptime. Before sleep claimed him, though, his mischievous grin widened a fraction as he realised a thoroughly exciting prospect.

They were **_so_** going to Suna soon.

* * *

A/N: One last thing though...Let's keep the oneshot prompts light and happy! For the life of me, I really cannot write angst. Not _cannot_ as in I don't want to; _cannot_ as in it is not in my ability. A little drama, sure, but angst is a genre far away from my grasp. Besides, after all that ShikaTema have been through, why subject them to the angst, man? Give them a break. Lol. Cheers!

Kaa-san-Mother  
Kaa-chan-Mom  
Tou-chan-Dad  
Oyaji-Old Man  
Otou-sama-Father  
Akachan-Baby  
Nii-chan-Big Brother  
Gomen-Sorry  
Obaa-chan-Grandma  
Kekkei Genkai-Bloodline Limit  
Gaki-Kid  
Ojisan-Uncle  
Ojii-sama-Grandfather  
Hai-Yes  
Mattaku-expression denoting exasperation  
Mendokusai na-How troublesome; What a drag  
Shimon-Eighth chakra gate; The Gate of Death


	2. Blush

A/N: A 300-word drabble I made in 20 minutes or so because I needed to write some fanfiction since my busy weekend feels empty without writing anything at all. I had to squeeze in something! Fluff warning!

* * *

When her back finally hit the plush mattress, Temari sighed indulgently and closed her eyes. She relished the feeling of having to go to bed earlier than usual. While she wasn't as obsessed with sleep as her husband and sons, the blonde kunoichi would be kidding herself if she said she didn't enjoy an extra few hours…especially since those extra hours are hard to come by these days.

Temari continued to lay on the centre of the bed spreadeagle even as she felt her husband approach to join her on the mattress. Still, Shikamaru didn't nudge her or urge her to scoot over to her side. A few more silent moments passed before the wind mistress languidly shifted to her left to make room for her husband. When the Nara clan head slipped under the covers, she curled towards his body automatically.

Shikamaru reached an arm over to dim their lights a little since she couldn't exactly sleep in total darkness. It was a habit that she had developed after discovering that leaving a light, no matter how dim, helps fend off nightmares. She had been worried that it would trouble her husband since he liked peaceful, undisturbed sleep as much as possible, but Shikamaru didn't mind. He could sleep anytime, anywhere anyways.

Her eyes were closed, but Temari knew that he was looking at her. A small smile formed on her lips and her eyes opened lazily. As soon as their gazes held each other captive, the kunoichi drowned in the intensity, warmth, and affection that his gaze held. She couldn't help a blush from tinting her cheeks even if she wanted to.

"12 years and four kids later, and you still blush, huh?"

"Because you still look at me the same way."

It was his turn to blush.


	3. Suna Snippet

A/N: Happy New Year, y'all! May your 2018 be filled with soulful adventures and endless ventures for happiness and fulfilment! If you've noticed, I have changed a bit of the description of this fic. It's a collection of _shorts_ instead of _one-shots_ because I think that is what really this piece of mine is going to be. lol So basically this is a chapter focusing on the events after chapter one. I took a bit of time introducing Yuri and the twins so I hope you enjoy them! x

* * *

"Yuri-sama, I don't think your Kaa-sama will appreciate you doing this." a female Kazekage tower worker pleaded for what seemed to be the third time in such a short period. Sighing, the Suna chuunin frowned and shook her head as she followed the young child in front of her religiously. Nothing seemed to get through the little girl. The kunoichi looked at her companion worriedly before they turned their eyes forward once more.

When she was called to the Kazekage office with Kanae, Kuriko was already expecting a mission of great importance and, possibly, great difficulty. After all, two of the top performing Sunagakure chuunin sharing a mission in a time of relative peace? It was a little unheard of. Her partner was equally mentally prepared for whatever their redheaded Kazekage would entrust upon them.

Escorting and keeping company the Kazekage's three youngest nieces and nephew were not what they had expected, but they have come to know now that an A-rank mission to either duel the desert creatures or eliminate bandits would have been easier. At least, they would not be dealing with a Nara Temari-incarnate.

"Mama will not know unless you tell her," Sayuri chimed, stopping in the middle of the hallway and turning back to look at them with a sly grin dancing upon her rosy lips. Immediately, the look sent a shiver down both the kunoichi's spines and they simultaneously gulped and nodded, making the middle Nara child continue on her way. "Besides, we're just going to see Nii-chan. There's nothing wrong with that."

Kuriko wanted to point out that using Kagemane no jutsu to teach your twin baby brother and sister how to sprint like shinobi was something off, if not entirely wrong.

Kanae, on the other hand, was left marvelled at the young child's stamina and chakra control. Sustaining jutsu like the Kagemane seemed difficult enough to do on a stationary person or object but the young Nara was able to do it with ease while she (and by extension her younger siblings) ran through the hallways of the Kazekage tower.

It was just two hours before lunchtime, yet the pair of chuunin felt like they have been at this mission for far longer. The Nara siblings seemed to be growing much, much more into themselves and they might have figured that mimicking Mama's spunky attitude and thirst for adventure was far more alluring than Papa's easy-going, laid back attitude.

Handling one Nara sibling was already a challenge in itself, but their current predicament was equal to being caught in the middle of Temari-sama's Tatsu no Oshigoto.

"Sayuri-sama!" Kuriko exclaimed before she practically leaped over the child and laid herself on her way to catch her from falling. Her heart beat wildly in her chest as she managed to be a barricade between the blonde six year-old and the floor.

Yuri's face was planted on her arm but she was upright, and that was the most important part. The twins were bent slightly forwards beside Sayuri, almost identical looks of shock on their darling faces. The shock soon turned into fits of giggles.

Kanae sweeped them off the floor as soon as she saw Yuri extract her shadows from her siblings. The twins were already stomping about but Kanae would feel better if they didn't stomp their way to Temari-sama and retell their exciting experience.

"Again!" Jiromaru and Miyuki exclaimed raising their arms and fidgeting in Kanae's arms. "One more! Nee-chan, one more!"

Kanae let out a small, inaudible sigh and shook her head. "I'm sorry, futari domo. I think we've had enough fun for this morning."

The smaller Temari-incarnate narrowed her teal eyes at the chuunin and crossed her chubby arms. "You're not fun. You're boring."

The chuunin holding the youngest Nara shrugged before she started to walk to the training hall where the little rascals' eldest brother was at the moment. "I'm not boring; I'm conscious about your safety."

Jiro tugged on Kanae's hitai-ate and cocked his head to the side. "What does that mean?"

"It means I don't want you to get hurt," she said then adding, under her breath, "unless I want the Suna no Sankyodai on my ass."

"What's an ass?" Yuki queried almost immediately.

Kanae grimaced visibly and then pursed her lips. "It's something you shouldn't say unless you are 15 years old!"

The pout on Jiro's face was too adorable that despite the situation, Kanae wanted to melt. "But Yuki-chan and I are just two!"

"Exactly."

"I know what ass means," Sayuri grinned from her perch on Kuriko's back. "I heard Sai-ojisan talk about Ino-obasan's ass once."

Kuriko sighed irritably. "Again, Sayuri-sama, it's not something you should say unless you are 15 years old."

Rolling her teal eyes, Yuri tightened her arms' grasp around Kuriko's neck for a second before sighing and laxing her grip. "Fine."

"But Sai-ojisan isn't 15," Yuki protested. "He's older, Papa says. Why is he saying that word if he's not 15?"

Kanae's mouth opened and closed as her mind scrambled for an explanation. The chuunin took a moment to wordlessly complain about her current mission and consoled herself over the fact that the monetary compensation afterwards will be worth every tiny heart attack the Nara siblings have inflicted or will inflict. "Well, ah, you see…"

"Kanae-san just means that you must be 15 years old or older to say that word," Kuriko blurted out suddenly. "But it's not really a nice word so we don't have to use it."

Jiromaru crinkled his brows and frowned. "Then why did Kanae-san say it if it's not a nice word? Mama says that you have to be nice most of the time."

Miyuki nodded fiercely at her brother's statement. "Yeah! Papa says that being bad will turn many other people bad! Do you want us to turn bad, Kanae-san?"

For all their intelligent innocence, Kuriko was already at her wits' end at the barrage of questions coming from the siblings. Just how did Shikamaru-dono and Temari-sama deal with all four of them all at once? "Kanae-san isn't bad. She just slipped."

"But she's still standing up," Miyuki pointed out.

Kanae cleared her throat. "What Kuriko-san means is that I am not bad. I am still learning how to be really, really good and that sometimes we make mistakes when we're learning things."

"Oh," the twins responded in unison.

Sighing deeply, the chuunin escorts felt a great wave of relief wash over them as the onslaught of queries have ceased for the moment. In their individual minds, they have decided to be firmer in controlling their thoughts and side comments as all three children were very keen and attentive.

As if they could expect anything less from the progenies of Sunagakure's Lady of War and Konohagakure's Lead Strategist. They should have anticipated these kinds of happenings to take place.

When the children seemed to be content, the two chuunin took them further down the tower towards the training hall in silence.

* * *

For what seemed like the hundredth time, Shikadai wiped the particles off his face. He had been in the training hall for almost two hours now. Kaa-chan made good on her promise to take him to Suna to train his new ability.

To say that he was excited couldn't even encompass the anticipation that surged within the genin…Which was why he clung to said anticipation so he wouldn't let the frustration take over his system.

Things were going swimmingly when Gaara-ojisan helped him out during his first hour after they had their breakfast, but the Kazekage was understandably a busy person. Shikadai wouldn't hold it against his uncle if his promise of assisting him in his Jiton training wouldn't come to fruition. He was a smart boy, as his mother repeatedly says, and he would eventually figure out the semantics of the technique.

Taking a deep breath, Shikadai discarded his blazer and shirt before focusing chakra on his hands once more. Soon, the four particles that respond to his affinity rose from the ground of the training hall in a spectrum of silvers. The genin balled his hands into a fist and waited for the elements to respond, as he strove to turn them into an alloy.

Extra studying sessions with his Oyaji led them to the discovery that he was able to summon the elements needed to create the strongest magnet known in the Five Nations. The thought alone made him eager to learn his kekkei genkai, but also put pressure upon his 12-year-old shoulders. After all, he had to master four particles simultaneously as opposed to the usual single particle summons of the Jiton.

His teal eyes widened when he was able to unite the four particles but he was quick on his feet to gain distance from his creation as soon as he realised that the alloy was unstable and could burst soon. And it did.

Shikadai leapt as far as he could away from his previous position, squinting his eyes and holding his breath. The silver colour of the four particles were quick to scatter throughout the whole of the training hall, making his vision more than just a little gusty. The young Nara stabilised his chakra to lengthen his breath hold and decided to just go for the door.

He recounted in his mind the steps that he took when he first came in and he was thankful when his back hit the knob of the door. Before he could turn around to open it, the alloy completely burst open and disturbed the placid wind current within the training hall. Shikadai was swept off his feet and he was prepared to land on the ground with he saw a dark shadow appendage wrap around his waist.

If the boy could, he would have sighed. Soon after, the particles were swept to the direction opposite him and the training hall was clear before his eyes once more. Half of the room was slathered in metallic silver-coloured dust but at least the storm of metallic particles was dissipated. Shikadai didn't need to see to know who came to his rescue.

The child rested easy when the shadow tendril took him back to the entrance of the hall and set him back down on his feet. He could only imagine what he looked like before his parents. Throughout that little blunder, his tie seemed to have snapped, making his hair look pretty much windswept.

Kaa-chan didn't even hide her laughter before she clasped her Tessen in its place on her back. Temari stepped forward and patted his cheek. "Anata, I wasn't aware that the child we made can turn into a metal pipe."

There was a blush on his father's face but Oyaji found the humour in the situation easier to indulge so he joined Kaa-chan in her laughter. "Fire and Sand _does_ make glass, Hime, but who knows what else it could make?"

Shikadai rolled his teal eyes heaven-ward and gently shrugged off his mother's hand away from his face. "First of all, that's disgusting. Please don't talk about _making me_ in front of _me_. And why are you laughing? How do I look?"

Instead of answering, his mother showed him the palm that rested on his cheek earlier. Its state was similar to the state of half of the training hall; it was covered in metallic particles, like a fancier form of dust. Sighing, Shikadai took his father's proffered handkerchief.

"I need a shower," the boy grumbled, wiping his face and handing the cloth back to Shikamaru once he was satisfied.

Temari wiped her palm on Shikamaru's dark bottoms, making the man scowl at his wife for doing so. "No one will know. And I'm wearing a purple kimono."

"I thought you guys have a meeting or something?"

"Well, the dignitary we were waiting for ran a day behind on his travels so it's postponed until he arrives. Honestly, moving around schedule just for him is so troublesome," his father grumbled, wrapping an arm around his mother's waist.

"Mm. So we decided to oversee your training for the time being. We've got three more hours before lunch and we can do much with it," Kaa-chan nodded.

Shikadai's bottom lip stuck out and the boy huffed, scratching at the side of his head. "I think I've had enough training for today."

Shikamaru raised his brow at his son's behaviour. "What's this now? It's far too early in the morning to be giving up, Dai."

The glower in his son's eyes was almost identical to the glower the woman beside him does. "I'm _not_ giving up. I'm just…I just recognise that today is simply not a good day for training."

Said woman now has the same expression and Shikamaru retracted his arm from his wife, wanting to merely remain as a spectator for now.

"You're making up excuses, gaki. I'm not liking it one bit," Temari said pointedly, laying a hand on her hip. "At least have the decency to tell us honestly why you're giving up after two hours of being in here."

Breaking away from the stare off with his mother, Shikadai turned his head away and scowled. "It's harder than I thought it would be."

Sighing exasperatedly, Shikamaru ran a hand down his face. "Baka. What else did you expect? This isn't something simple like the Kage-based jutsu you already know. This is a combined nature transformation kekkei genkai, meaning that you will have to have equal control for both type of base chakra before you execute any Jiton jutsu."

"And since you already have a solid grip on your Wind nature, Tou-chan will be assisting you on working with your Earth chakra. I'll be working on helping you infuse Wind with Earth, if time permits. Also, to blow away any sand that will no doubt stir up in this hall," Temari said.

Looking in between his parents, Shikadai sighed as he resigned to the fact that he would most definitely not be getting a way out of the situation. Scratching his nape, he turned on his heel and proceeded to go back to the grounds of the training hall.

"You think going back to basics is really necessary, Temari?" Shikamaru asked his wife, looking at her sideways. "I mean you saw how he already created the alloy after just two hours of training on his own."

Temari hummed and took her husband's hand in hers. "We won't be going all back. We aren't going to start at square one with him. He just needs pointers on finer chakra control so that the alloys he will create will have more stability. I don't think it will take a long time to do so, it's actually more your work than mine with the Earth chakra."

"Mendokusai na," the Hokage advisor grumbled.

The ambassadress chuckled and then grinned widely before she planted a kiss on her husband's lips, suppressing a girly giggle when Shikamaru's strong arms wound around her waist. "Come now. It will be fun. And didn't you say you wanted us to cooperate on his training? It's the perfect time to do so, Anata."

A smirk appeared on the Nara clan head's face and he brought his wife closer to him. "Mm. Only you would think of training as fun, Hime."

"It could be fun," she drawled lazily, setting her hands upon his muscular chest and tracing invisible circles. "I mean we could train together later, too. You know. Maybe train so we can mould chakra better…train our physical energy…"

Shikamaru's smirk turned into a sly, lopsided grin. "Maybe later tonight when the temperatures have dropped and we need extra heat to keep ourselves warm, yeah?"

"Exactly—"

"Are you guys just going to make disgusting doe eyes at each other or are you going to help me train?!" Shikadai bellowed from his spot on the ground. The genin had thought about his situation and deemed that help from his parents would certainly aid him in mastering his new ability.

However, when they had not followed him down to the grounds, he grew curious. So, he turned around only to see them hugging each other closely. For an outsider's point of view, the Nara couple seemed to be in an eternal honeymoon phase. For someone like him, though, it was an ordinary Wednesday.

Both halves of the couple rolled their eyes before parting and hopping down to the grounds. The two high-ranking jounin landed on their feet with flourish, their lovesick expressions wiped away and replaced with a steadfast look that Shikadai almost regretted that he called them out earlier.

"Mould chakra first. Fill up your reserves," his father instructed him. "We're going to try and do this with the least amount of time possible."

Shikadai nodded and sat on the ground, starting to mould chakra and watching as his parents do the same. There was a bit of warmth that coursed through him as he witnessed slipping on the shinobi facets of their being. They were almost always Kaa-chan and Oyaji, sometimes Ambassadress and Hokage advisor.

He had never spent time thinking about the day when he would be doing ninja things such as this with his parents, but right now there was an innocent happiness that he was feeling that he is able to do so.

They never voiced it out loud but somehow, he knows that his parents hold great expectations from him. After all, he was the heir of the Nara clan and a member of the renowned Kazekage clan. The Nara may not be as prominent as the other clans like the Hyuuga or the Uchiha, but their importance was just as great, if not greater since they penetrate almost all of the aspect of Konoha with their innate intelligence. The Kazekage clan need not be explained.

When he had realised that his parents were important figures in the shinobi world, he had immediately assumed that he would be following their footsteps even if they didn't tell him to do so. It was only natural, given his lineage. He had been resigned to the fact that he would carry such baggage alone till they were satisfied with his achievements.

When his sister was born, he was washed with a sense of relief with the knowledge that someone would be walking alongside him in fulfilling their parents' dreams for them. That relief only increased when the twins came into the picture.

His parents offering their skills to aid him in becoming a better influencer and worker for society came as a surprise to him at the moment. It was a very welcome surprise, however. Then again, his mind reared its more sentimental side and made him realise that all along, they have always been his untapped resources for help.

They don't exist just to house him until he was expected to go out into the world. They exist to be there for him in every step of the way…if only he lets them do so. Shikadai looked between his parents again and smiled at them both even if they couldn't see him. He was determined now to be a better version of himself, if only for the two people who worked and continue to work tirelessly to secure a future for him and his siblings.

Closing his eyes, he focused on moulding his chakra.

* * *

"Kuriko-san, what's taking so long?" the older Temari-incarnate whined from the chuunin's back. They had been walking almost aimlessly inside the Kazekage tower but they seemed to be nowhere near the training hall.

Kuriko sighed dejectedly and silently wished that her charge would fall asleep like her younger twin siblings. "I'm sorry, Yuri-sama, but Kanae-san and I don't really wander around the tower that much. We don't exactly know where all the places are. But I'm positive we'll get there soon, all right? Why don't you take a nap, and I will just wake you when we get to your Nii-sama."

Sighing lazily, the eldest female Nara sibling nodded then let out a yawn. "A nap sounds really, really good."

Almost as quickly as she suggested slumber, the blonde little girl was out like a light.

"If we had only known that suggesting a nap would knock them out as quick as damn lightning, Kuriko-san, we would have rocked them to sleep sooner," Kanae grumbled. "Look at them, they're as still as Gaara-sama's facial expressions."

Kuriko hummed and smiled. The Nara siblings don't really look stroppy nor mischievous when they were sleeping. It was as if they were very angelic little darlings. "Shall we take them to their room? We can just say that we encountered Temari-sama and she instructed us to return them there when they wake up?"

Kanae shook her head. "That won't work, Kuriko-san. Yuri is a dangerous force here. She might tell that to Temari-sama and Her Lady will accuse us of lying just so we can avoid the mission."

"Well, Gaara-sama did say that we need to keep them company and keep them safe. We can't exactly fulfil that while they are sleeping. Besides, they have different sets of escorts guarding the kids' sleeping quarters. We can just leave them with the escorts and consider the mission done," Kuriko reasoned.

For a moment, Kanae considered Kuriko's suggestion before sighing dejectedly. "Are we really Suna's top chuunin? Why are we running away from a mission?"

Kuriko frowned and shook her head. "It's nothing against the kids, really. They're very adorable when they're not being too inquisitive or mischievous. It's just that they are a little too much to handle by normal people all at the same time. I imagine Temari-sama has her hands full with four kids stomping about."

The other chuunin adjusted the twins in her arms and pursed her lips. "I don't think Temari-sama is the type of mother that would just let her children stomp about. I bet she has them all disciplined with just one raised brow."

"Know what, I think you're right."

"Yeah, so what do we do now?"

"We look for that damn training hall and pray Shikadai-sama has finished with his training so we can return them to their rooms. At least we won't be creating loopholes and creating an elaborate tale just to get these little ones out of our hands. Besides, I'm not really comfortable handling them," Kuriko sighed.

"You too, huh?"

Nodding, the chuunin gently adjusted Sayuri on her back. "Yeah, it seems like the longer time we spend with these three, the greater my fear of mucking up. It feels like we're going to make a big mistake and endanger them and our lives as shinobi will be over."

Kanae glanced between Jiromaru and Miyuki. "Such little creatures…one of them has far more value than you and I combined. It's like we're carrying a bag of gold and walking through a street filled with bandits."

"I guess the mission does deserve its A-rating."

Kanae hummed in agreement. "Well, let's just go and find that darned hall. Let's just stay true to our mission."

* * *

"Earth chakra, basically, enables a user to lighten or make heavier the particles that one is likely to summon. In your case they are the elements of neodymium, iron, boron, and nickel," Shikamaru started, drawing on the ground to create visuals for his son to absorb what he was saying. "You and I have studied the properties of each element so we won't be repeating that. And until such time that we found a way for you to summon only one particle at a time, we will have to take the four as a whole.

"But before such, we need to fully tap into your Earth chakra so that these elements will respond to you better like Wind responds well to your will," Shikamaru said.

Temari nodded in agreement. "And since you already have summoned the particles in Jiton-based jutsu, we just need to hone your ability to stabilise them when being summoned by Earth-infused chakra."

Shikadai looked at the rudimentary drawings on the ground and considered his parents' lecture. "If I can already summon them with Jiton-infused chakra, shouldn't we train my ability to stabilise them using Jiton?"

His mother hummed briefly before shaking her head. "I've considered that, but it seems that the reason you can't control the particles or the alloy for so long is that there is an imbalance between your Fuuton and your Doton skills. Normally, it wouldn't matter but you are, again, summoning four kinds of particles all at once. You need to be at least genin-level proficient at both for you to start mastering the Jiton."

"Attacking the root of the problem rather than employing band-aid solutions," Shikamaru concluded.

The genin nodded in understanding and stood up from his squat. "So then, what do I need to do?"

"Tou-chan will have you create practise bricks and when you've mastered them, you'll create mud walls. When we see that your mud wall is stable and strong, we'll proceed with the two-chakra infusion for the Jiton," Kaa-chan answered. "I'll ready some water for you boys so go on and start then."

Shikamaru stood up from his squat and dusted his shinobi pants off. Once Temari was out of hearing range, he spoke. "All right, kiddo. I need you to be patient with me. Doton isn't my strongest suit. And I know you have the tendency to become a perfectionist like your Kaa-chan, but try to appreciate the process of learning first before you decide you've had enough."

"Fine," the boy griped with a quick roll of his eyes. "Hand seals for the practice brick, Oyaji?"

"Ram, Tiger, Snake, Dog, Rat, Ox, Horse, Rabbit, Tiger, Boar, Snake."

As soon as the genin heard the seal combinations, he was quick to set on to memorise them. It took no more than five minutes to have them down to pat and the child had a determined look on his face that reminded his father of a certain blonde kunoichi whom he is in love with.

"What?" Shikadai asked, curious.

Shikamaru was brought out of his reverie then. "Huh?"

The Nara clan heir cocked an eyebrow. "You're looking at me with a weird look on your face, Oyaji."

The Hokage advisor let out a chuckle and waved his hand dismissively. "Nevermind me, gaki. Anyways, when employing Earth chakra, it would help if you shift your concentration on your feet as if they will be the ones to summon the ground. Shall we try the practice brick?"

Shikadai did the hand seals with flourish before laying a palm on the ground. "Doton: Renga no Jutsu!"

As soon as the ground rumbled under him, Shikamaru leapt away and landed behind his son. He waited to see if the practice brick would surface, and he was not surprised when it did not. For a few moments, he was afraid his son would find the process too troublesome to continue but he was glad that didn't seem to be the case when Shikadai turned to him.

"What did I do wrong?"

Taking a breath, Shikamaru sat down on the ground. "It's not a case of what you did wrong. It's more of what else you didn't do. I'll do the jutsu and you see if we have any differences, all right?"

The Nara clan head did the required hand seals and successfully erected a practise brick. Shikamaru remained sitting down with a hand resting on the ground and let it rest there until he deemed the brick to be at an acceptable height. Turning to his son, he raised a brow and expected an answer.

Shikadai looked sideways as if he would be able to procure an answer from the walls of the ashen training hall. "Uhm, you were sitting down?"

"Correct."

"What does that even mean, Oyaji?"

Smirking, the father looked at his son with a challenge playing about his face. "How about you try and think of the answer by yourself first before you ask me? I already gave you the needed information."

The young Nara sighed and squatted down on the ground, lacing his fingers as he began to think. "When you sat down, you had more surface area of yourself connected to the ground— the Earth—so you were able to employ more of your chakra to summon it."

"Exactly," said his mom who returned from her excursion for water. "When you summon the wind, you don't need to do anything since almost every part of you is already touching the atmosphere. For something like Earth-style jutsu, you need to really be connected with the ground until your relationship with it is stable."

A water bottle flew his direction and he caught it in one hand. Shikadai took a hungry sip of water and then set it down beside him. "So, do I need to do it sitting down or what?"

"Just lay your hand on the ground and until you get the jutsu activated," Temari hummed, leaning against her husband. "And concentrate. Focus more of your chakra downwards."

Amazingly, yet quite unsurprisingly, the child was able to achieve a decent mud wall by the end of the next hour. Shikadai had gone from non-existent practise brick, to muddy tableaus, to a normal-looking mud wall. Waiting a little anxiously, Shikadai watched as his father inspected his handiwork and he let out an inaudible sigh of relief when Shikamaru's lips curved into an approving smile.

"Good going, gaki," Kaa-chan praised him as she ruffled his hair affectionately. This time, instead of shirking the gesture, the young Nara welcomed it. "Now go and take a quick shower; I have clothes inside the shower rooms ready for you. I think you've done enough for today. You can have the afternoon to rest and have fun."

"Thanks, Kaa-chan!" Shikadai turned towards Temari and the boy grinned up widely at his mother, mirroring the grin that she also possesses. The boy soon sprinted towards the training hall's shower rooms to clean himself. He was sure that he smelled absolutely horrid by now, on top of the fact that he still looked like a walking human metal rod after the mishap earlier.

As soon as the genin was outside the grounds of the hall, Shikamaru turned towards his wife whose gaze lingered towards the direction of their firstborn. Her eyes were a little glassy, which was a sight rare to see. The Nara clan head walked over to her and nudged her slightly. "What are you thinking about?"

Temari blinked several times and swallowed the lump in her throat before looking up at her husband. "He's growing up, isn't he?"

"Are you feeling sentimental?" he asked, tugging her to him and wrapping his arms around her.

The Ambassadress burrowed her face against her husband's chest, only happy to be snug between his arms. "I-I guess so."

Shikamaru let out a soft chuckle and placed a tender kiss on the crown of her golden head. "Well, you better practise now, since we've got more of these milestones to go through. Two sets of those most likely at the same time."

Her hands gripped the sides of his shirt firmly as she felt a small twinge on her chest. She couldn't decide if it were a happy twinge or a sad one. "How about we not think so far ahead into the future? I think I can only take so much at one point."

"Mm. I never expected you to be the more melancholic one when it comes to this," he said truthfully. "Then again, you are their mother."

Frowning slightly, she looked up at him and huffed. "Why does that sound like the sexist 12 year-old Shikamaru I knew once?"

Letting out a chortle at the sight of her pouting lips, Shikamaru shook his head lightly. "I didn't mean it that way. I just meant that you carried all of them for nine months within you. You've a bond between each one of them that's special and deep."

"Well, if you put it that way…" she trailed off as she laid her head back on his chest.

"Are you going to cry now?"

Temari snorted and wrapped her arms around him. "No. That's your job. I think you do that well enough for the both of us already."

"Oh? I think I can remember a few times when you relieved me of that job," Shikamaru teased.

A warm heat crawled on her cheeks and Temari was sure she was a little pinkish. "Now is not the time to be strolling down memory lane."

He smirked slightly, angling his head downwards only to see that she was slightly blushing. "After all these years and you're still a—"

"Don't say it."

"Because it's true?"

"Because it's not, you ass," she grumbled.

"What's an ass, Mama?" the voice from above them sounded and the couple slightly jumped, the teasing mood dispelling quickly.

There was a mild panic that surged within the Suna princess as she saw two heads in between the stair railings cocked to the side curiously, while it depicted their innocent looks. "U-uhh…"

Shikamaru's stomach tightened as he struggled to contain the laughter from escaping him. Similarly, he struggled to contain a teasing remark at the expense of his wife. The Hokage advisor watched as his wife stammered for an answer to Jiromaru's inquiry.

Kuriko squatted down and let Sayuri disembark from her niche on the chuunin's back. Almost immediately, the little Temari-incarnate rushed to the original and leapt into her arms. "Mama, I want to fly on your Tessen!"

Temari turned to the two chuunin escorts as the twins hugged each of her leg, and offered them a grateful nod. "You're dismissed. We'll take it from here."

"Mama, fly! I want to fly!" Sayuri repeated, which delighted the twins.

"Me too!" Yuki exclaimed, flashing her mother a toothy grin. The youngest male Nara merely nodded in agreement.

To the mother's great relief, the inquiry about what an ass was seemed to have been banished from the minds of the young ones. Normally, she wouldn't be as keen on letting them ride her Tessen. It only happened if certain conditions were met, but she wouldn't pass up the chance on using it to have them forget about the 'ass' thing altogether.

"Only if you ask nicely," she cooed, setting down Sayuri on the ground.

"Please!" the three of their brood sang, making their parents chuckle in delight.

Temari unclasped her giant fan and set it on the ground whilst Shikamaru did a rat hand seal to bind their children to his wife's Tessen. Soon, the fan was above the ground and making sweeping motions on the atmosphere. It didn't fly that high, but the Wind mistress made sure that they were thrilled by the speed nonetheless.

Shikamaru shoved his hands into his pockets and raised a brow at his wife who was concentrated on manipulating the air currents within the training hall. It was a difficult feat to do but she was not the World's most proficient wind user for nothing.

"So, Mama…what's an ass?"

The Ambassadress took a few moments to tear her eyes away from the flying Tessen and giggling children to glare at her husband. "It's something of yours I won't be tapping later if you continue being so insufferable, Papa."

* * *

Fuuton: Tatsu no Oshigoto-Wind Style: Sea Dragon; Great Task of the Dragon  
Nee-chan-older sister  
Futari domo-you two  
Fuuton-Wind style  
Doton-Earth style

Why do I feel like this will have a part III? lol


	4. Desert Lily

Why they never thought of making this journey the moment they found out about the news, he would never know. And he will probably never forgive himself for not thinking about it sooner. However, the logical part of his mind – which was the majority, ultimately – reasoned that dwelling in what should have happened wasn't going to turn back time and ease him of his grave worries now.

For the last three days, they have been travelling the familiar path to Sunagakure: he, his wife, and by his insistence, Ino. Temari had not wanted for her medic-friend to accompany them, as she pointed out that a lot more people would need Ino in the hospital and that Sakura might not ever forgive them for making the Yamanaka take a leave in the middle of flu season. Eventually, even the mind reader was on Shikamaru's side on the matter.

With a pout, a harrumph, and arms crossed over her very pregnant belly, the Sunagakure Princess agreed to the setup.

Even if she hadn't, Ino would have come of her own accord anyway. It wasn't as if Temari could actually fight her to prevent her from coming. Shikamaru had hidden her Tessen away, and it wasn't adviseable for pregnant kunoichi to engage in laborious tasks especially during the last trimester of their gestation. The chakra system could very well send her to an early labour, and it wouldn't be good to rush the body like that.

Somehow, even Shikamaru wished that he hadn't hidden her giant war fan so their baby arrived even before their scheduled trip. On the eve before they left for Suna (and after tucking their firstborn in his mother's house), the Nara clan head cursed his lazy Nara genes for making their baby laze around in Temari's stomach, as if not wanting to go out and meet the world.

His rationality came back to him and he shook his head gently to will away the quick reminiscing before eyeing the stretch of desert before them. They had already taken up the time of normal Konoha-Suna travel time, and Shikamaru knew that the adventure was just about to start.

Neither he nor Ino were equipped in dealing with Demon Desert creatures, so he hoped that the missive he sent Gaara had already been received, and that his brother-in-law already took the necessary steps in order to ensure Temari would get to cross the desert without much hitch.

Shikamaru had to breathe a sigh of relief when he spotted a luxurious norimono for Temari to ride in. He offered his hand to his wife, and helped her down the jinrikisha that he had rented in the small village that they last visited.

"Really, I am not an invalid," Temari said in annoyance as she laid down on the futon inside the norimono. "You didn't have to ask Gaara for this, anata."

Ino shook her head slightly. "Temari, don't take this the wrong way, but your complaints are really falling on deaf ears. Besides, wouldn't you want this baby to be born in Suna? And not _while traveling to_ Suna?"

The Suna Princess grumbled at her friend's point, unable to argue further. Temari merely let her back rest against the plush futon, slowly humming at the relief it offered her muscles while she patted and rubbed her swollen stomach. Feeling a tiny kick, the kunoichi grinned widely before letting herself take a nap.

* * *

Stretching on the mattress slightly, the Wind mistress sighed in contentment as the cramp on her lower back subsided. She turned on her side and sank into the futon once more, eyes closed in an effort to reclaim the sleep that was slowly slipping away from her. Eventually, she succeeded in submitting to slumber once more.

The second time she awoke, the sun was on her face and so she rolled to her back again. Her side had developed a cramp, it seemed, and she hoped to soothe it by going on a different position. This time, said cramp rounded itself, going from her left then spreading to the bulge of her belly before terminating on the opposite right side. It was gone almost as quickly as she felt it.

Her husband's voice was the one that concluded her nap on the third time. There was something about taking a break to change the people carrying her norimono, and a quick question about how she was doing inside the manpowered vehicle. Temari dismissed his worries lazily, ending with a reminder to not disturb her naps so suddenly.

The dream that the kunoichi had on the fourth time that she fell asleep was more tactile than visual. There was nothing but bright orange flames engulfing her whole body. She could feel no heat, but Temari definitely felt the sharp licks of fire passing through her skin and ravaging her muscles. Finding such dream-turned-nightmare rather disturbing, the Suna Princess willed herself awake.

However, she found that the flares antagonising her muscles weren't going away even if she were fully awake.

Careful not to make any sudden movements, she waited until the cramping had passed and she had sighed. Temari couldn't pinpoint whether it was the heat or the restricted space that was rendering her muscles suddenly restless. Despite her uncertainty, she reached for the canister of water that her husband had placed by her head and drank generously.

Sitting up on the futon, the Nara matriarch sighed and allowed her back to rest on the posterior wall of the norimono. Her hands rested on her stomach once more, the bulge offering her great deals of comfort despite its rather intrusive size. She laid her head against the wall and smiled softly in content.

"Hang in there, little one," she whispered softly. "We're still some long ways to go."

Oh, but hang in there the little one did not.

A sharp gasp escaped her parted lips as her stomach hardened slightly under her hands. Temari's breathing had gone from content and relaxed to staggering in a matter of seconds, as she tried to make sense of the situation before her. As quick as the cramping started did it stop, and she was confused. Her heart pounded wildly against its confines. Her back started to feel a little tender before the discomfort mellowed out once more.

"Shikamaru?" she called, thankful that her voice still hasn't reflected her internal panic.

Her husband poked his head inside the norimono almost as soon as she called for him. "Yeah? You doing all right?"

"I-I," she stammered before she took a breath. Temari had to wince slightly before she could muster out a reply. "I honestly am not sure."

The Nara clan head's eyes bugged out of its sockets, and Shikamaru's head slid out of the norimono. "How far are we from the midway tower?!"

"Five hundred meters, Nara-dono," one of the Suna jounin replied.

"I suggest we speed the hell up!"

Ino caught on to the situation quickly as Shikamaru voiced out his panic. In a swift and practiced motion, she weaved the signs and a green flow of chakra surrounded her hands before the medic laid them on Temari's stomach. "Shit, Temari. You're beginning labour."

The Wind kunoichi was already struggling to recall the breathing exercises she had learned from the last time she did this. "W-Wakata! I—shit. Shit, it _hurts_."

Shikamaru tore the curtain of the norimono and kept his eyes on his wife. When she had stated her desire for their second-born to be delivered in her country, he sure as hell didn't imagine it to be in the middle of the Demon Desert. Frowning, he laid a hand on her leg and let his thumb draw circles on her skin. "Hang in there, Hime."

"You tell your child that!" she bellowed.

The Nara clan head gulped as the rush of wild air current blew through the travelling party. He was very, _very_ sure that it was the wind responding to their mistress' distress. Shikadai's birth was enough experience to let him know that the wind becomes violent when Temari is under duress.

Helpful it may be to the battlefield, but half the Nara forest was levelled when their son was brought into the world. Shikamaru couldn't even begin to imagine what hurricane, gale, or sandstorm will cook up the further Temari's control on her chakra declines.

His mind raced back to the time when she was in labour with Shikadai.

 _"Breathe, Hime," he had encouraged, trying to sound as calm as he could._

 _"_ _I'm breathing, you idiot genius!" she had screamed back, and Shikamaru wanted to point out to her that her breaths were nothing like the rhythmic breathing Sakura had shown her to do. However, he was warned by his mother to not make smart comments or else he would be kicked out of the birthing room._

 _"_ _Let's, uh, let's stay calm then…" Shikamaru had tried to tell her soothingly._

 _"_ _You telling me to stay calm while your child is twisting the hell out of my uterus?!"_

Needless to say, he had learned then that verbal encouragements wouldn't work while his wife was in labour…especially since his wife was quick on the wits with a mouth that certainly doesn't sugarcoat.

Silently, he took her hand and grasped it firmly. Shikamaru leaned towards her direction, before dropping a kiss on the back of her palm. The urgency of the winds seemed to have calmed a little, and he had to crack a little smile even if he felt double the sweat beading on his forehead.

Yes, words never meant much to Temari, but actions certainly did.

* * *

"I don't see why this is exciting for you, Kinpatsu," Temari groaned after another bout of contraction had passed.

Ino waved her hand and assessed the cramps forming on her friend's back. "I told you; I didn't get to deliver your baby last time since I was pregnant myself."

"So?"

"So, Kinpatsu," she started, using the nickname they have used for each other. "I'm excited because I get to deliver a friend's baby! It was unfair that Sakura had to do that with us and all our other friends because she had Sarada-chan a year earlier."

"Whatever. Where's my idiot genius?" she asked, restlessness showing in her voice. They were in the midway tower in the middle of the desert, while a sandstorm was ravaging the land partly due to her unbridled chakra.

Ino sat down next to the futon and weaved another set of seals before she laid a hand on Temari's stomach. "I have him on cleaning duty. When you passed out earlier, he was about to lose it so I gave him something to do. He and some of the Suna ninja are cleaning out one of the rooms so I can make it into a birthing room. I'm very particular on sanitation, and I know Shikamaru is the only one who can follow my written instructions to the dot, if not several times more. I'm sure he'll be back soon."

"He better be," she breathed. "And he better hurry it up, as I am not about to give birth on the same floor where I first passed out from ninja duty."

The iryu-nin looked at her friend in empathy, knowing first-hand the feeling. Ino made a bunshin to check on the status of the birthing room. "Sorry to say, but you aren't giving birth anytime soon, so we aren't pressed for time."

"Huh?"

"Seems like it's going the same way as last time, Kinpatsu," Ino said with an apologetic smile. "It's been four hours but you've hardly reached a centimetre dilation."

"Fuck. Me," the Suna Princess carped. "Why aren't we getting me to Suna then?! We seem to have quite the time on our hands.

The Yamanaka let out a breath. "While there's a gale going off and on in 45-minutes intervals? No way am I letting you set a hair strand out of the door, Kinpatsu. If we did that, and your labour progresses quickly, we'll be delivering Nara baby two in the middle of the freaking sandstorm."

Temari took a staggering breath at the thought. "Why does it have to be long?"

"We don't know that for sure yet. It might progress quickly later. Maybe if you hit past a certain dilation point, things will pick up. So just hang in there, and take those 45-minute naps before they shorten."

* * *

The next time her teal eyes opened, she felt a familiar warmth against her back and a large hand resting on top of her belly. Happy as she was to have her husband against her once more, Temari felt a little more exhausted after her nap. "An'ta?"

The Nara jounin hummed in response, sleep making his voice a little gruff. Shikamaru sat up on the bed and rubbed his eyes awake. "Need anything, Hime? Food? Water?"

"I don't feel particularly hungry," she mumbled, turning so that she was lying on her back. "Where's Ino? What time is it?"

"It's 8 in the evening," he said after checking the time on the wall clock. "Ino is sealing Miura's medical chakra for emergency use."

The Wind mistress pulled herself to a sitting position on the bed, and offered her husband a grateful smile when he dutifully helped her. Temari leaned against Shikamaru, the affinity towards his warmth more potent as it does heaps in comforting her. "Wait, it's 8pm? How long have I been sleeping?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "Around five hours, I guess. Ino told me to just let you sleep, though. She says it's a good thing to stock up on energy for later."

A pout pulled on Temari's lips. "Yeah, because your lazy Nara genes are kicking in at the worst possible time again."

The jounin couldn't help but smirk and chuckle. "My apologies, your highness. But you'll be pleased to know that you are now two centimetres dilated."

She scoffed generously and rolled her eyes, her husband's sentiment seeming ridiculous to her. "That's just the ¾ the length of your first knuckle, Shika. That's not enough to allow this baby to slip out. And who rejoices about two centimetres of dilation after _nine_ goddamn hours?"

"So, we don't?"

"I…am not so sure about that," she lamented. "How come I was able to sleep for five hours, though? Did Ino mind jutsu me or something?"

Temari felt Shikamaru shake his head. "Iie. She merely said that your contractions have subsided so your pain tolerance could handle them enough for you not to wake up."

"Oh," she breathed, before backtracking on what her husband had reported. Temari turned her head to face him. "Wait—subsided?! My contractions have subsided?!"

The Nara clan head blinked twice. "That's a bad thing? Thought that's a good thing so you won't feel pain?"

"No, you idiot genius!" she cried. "That means there's no progress happening!"

Shikamaru's jaw dropped in understanding. "Oh. Maybe, ah…Maybe eat a pepper? I hear that speeds up things."

"And if it doesn't?" Temari challenged. "That would mean I would have digested spicy food for no reason at all, except maybe give our baby a heartburn the minute she comes out of me!"

The howl of the wind became louder, sending a little creep down his spine. "All right, sorry, my bad. Hang on…she?"

"If this were male, this baby wouldn't be so stubborn," she mumbled. "No, this is a girl after my own heart."

Shikamaru snorted, glad that she was able to handle this labour better than the last time. "Maybe we can take a walk?"

"My legs feel like jelly," Temari retorted gently with a shake of her head. "Hey, have sex with me."

Chocolate-coloured orbs rounded and gaped. "What? Where did that come from all of a sudden?"

"They say having sex will ease labour pains, and possibly speed things up," the kunoichi explained. "Something about hormonal rush or whatnot."

"Well, I-I…well, ah…" Shikamaru stuttered, and even he was surprised that he did. His head turned away to conceal the pink tinge on his cheeks.

She rolled her eyes and huffed. "Are you seriously feeling conservative right now? Need I remind you that you have already put two children inside me?"

"N-No! It's just that…well, I don't think it'll be pretty comfortable for either of us," he murmured gently, hoping to any divine entity out there that he wouldn't sound offensive as it was the last thing he wanted to be. "Besides, we tried having sex before we left Konoha, and you didn't want to be touched."

"I changed my mind," Temari insisted feebly.

It was Shikamaru's turn to roll his eyes. "Yeah, sure, like I'll believe that."

The pregnant kunoichi grumbled and then sluggishly turned on the bed, going on her knees. Her mind was on a mission at the moment, and even if she looked (and felt) like a beached whale, she was going to try being sexy for her handsome husband. Temari wound her arms around his neck and placed her cheek against his chest. "Come on, Shika…just have me."

Her cutesy little statement wouldn't have had any effect on him given the situation, but her voice was just so damn alluring that his skin immediately felt hot at the end of her statement. Closing his eyes, he tried to push away the desire and focus on the seriousness of their current predicament. But then, Temari was suddenly mewling, trying her best to grind herself against him. It should have been a laughable moment, but friction was still being created.

"Anata…" the kunoichi purred, placing a gentle and teasing little kiss on the base of his jaw. "Don't you want me- _itai"_

Just like that, his eyes popped open as her mewls turned into huffs. His desire quickly dissolved and the nervous hammer on his chest was back. Shikamaru's face turned from bashful to serious in the blink of an eye, concern setting on his features quickly. Quickly, he grabbed her hands and let her squeeze as the contraction rocked her frame.

The howl of the wind sharpened, the haunting drawl escalating to a piercing shrill, as its mistress likewise cried. The tower shook in response for a quick second, and Shikamaru gravely worried that it was going to collapse on them if it continued. His worry turned into a state of hopelessness at seeing his wife in such difficulty, knowing he won't be able to do anything.

Finally, the desert calmed down as her contraction passed. The Nara clan head caught his wife as she collapsed against his chest, teal eyes brimming with tears.

"I hate this," she sniffed and quickly dried her watering eyes with the back of her hand. "Why isn't this easier?"

His frown deepened, and he could only wrap his arms around her, applying some calming pressure on her fatigued muscles. "When Ino gets back, we'll ask her about options, all right? Aside from the fact that this wasn't how it was supposed to be going, I'm really afraid of the tower's sturdiness."

"Oh, yeah. My bad."

"No. No apologies from you," he murmured, running his hand through her sweat-soaked hair. "Just focus on yourself and the baby right now. Let us worry about the rest."

Temari took a few breaths to fill her lungs, and hopefully, calm her state of mind. The desert followed suit almost immediately, the sun's rays merciless on the barren land once more. The shadow shinobi almost was jubilant at such sight outside the window.

"Maybe you should eat and have some water, Hime," he said, reaching for the sealing scroll that contained their food. "Just some crackers so your energy won't crash, and water for hydration."

"Please, thank you," she cooed, rolling from her knees and setting her back against the headboard. Temari let her husband fuss over her, adoring to be the centre of his attention at the moment.

After they finished eating, Ino came bustling through the door for her timely check-up. The iryu-nin slipped a pair of gloves on and checked her progress. "Four centimetres."

"Can we really not do anything to speed this whole process up, Ino?" she asked, the exhaustion already very evident in her voice. "My chakra might just topple the tower over before I even give birth."

"Way ahead of you, Kinpatsu," the Yamanaka winked. "You see, I had a bit of a field day with the medic-nin that Gaara sent us."

Temari blinked at her friend. "Shika said you were sealing her chakra?"

"Yes, I was. I just need your permission to start the process."

The Hokage advisor eyed his former teammate critically. "Is this safe, Ino? Is this process approved by Tsunade-sama already? I need to know success rates and all the possible risks involved."

The mind reader smirked and nodded. "Well, Shikamaru, not only is it Tsunade-shishou approved, but Shishou is the one who created the process especially geared towards kunoichi who would be undergoing childbirth. She and I collaborated, since it has something to do with hormone-release and we, Yamanaka, are the only ones who can manipulate the mind in Konoha.

"Anyways, she created this because there really are repercussions when kunoichi give birth, especially if their chakra and jutsu revolve around the five elements, Kinpatsu included."

Intrigued, Temari blinked and sipped on her water. "Tell me more."

"Wait, that doesn't sound like anything medically performed that I've ever heard of yet," Shikamaru pointed out.

Temari's hand went from resting on her belly to fisting the neck of Shikamaru's jounin shirt. The Suna Princess turned her head towards her husband and shot him a deadly glare. "My uterus, my decisions, Nara."

Swallowing, the shadow user could only nod his head.

"The semantics is that, a medic-nin will be on standby for the delivery whilst a Yamanaka would be conducting a little brain walk. I would have had Miura help but it isn't exactly a broadcasted procedure yet, so I merely sealed her chakra for me to use. It's going to be a modified version of the original procedure, but it's not an issue," Ino nodded.

The teal-eyed kunoichi closed her eyes and contemplated her options, taking her time in weighing the pros and cons of each. Eventually, her desperation to have her baby out of her won the little back and forth. "I swear, if you wreck my vagina, my uterus, or my brain, Kinpatsu, I will strangle you."

"Have a little faith, Kinpatsu. I'm doing you a really great deal here," Ino smirked.

"Fine. Do it," Temari nodded.

Ino clapped her hands together and beamed brightly, not even exerting the slightest bit of effort to conceal her excitement. "All right! Shikamaru, transfer her to the bench."

"I'm doing it sitting down? Again?"

Ino shrugged. "Well, it worked last time, didn't it? What do you prefer then?"

"Just here is fine," she bit out quickly before her words garbled into another set distressed groans.

* * *

The Midway Tower in the Eastern part of the Demon Desert struggled to stay still as it was caught in the middle of a crossfire between several harsh gales that stirred up in the stark land. The sun was almost non-existent along the horizon, as the sky was obscured by differing shades of tan and brown.

In one of the rooms inside its modest quarters, the tension could very well mirror the pressure of the unforgiving sandstorm.

Clutching her thighs back, Temari let out a throaty scream as she bore down. Her muscles felt rigid and loose at the same time, her exhaustion manifesting in the liquids that pooled in the corners of her eyes. " _Itai!_ _Mada ga?!"_

Her friend-turned-obstetrician shook her platinum-blonde head. "No, not yet. There's another contraction coming in 15 seconds. Let's give us a big push then."

Temari let go of her thighs, her hands seeking her husband's larger ones. She wanted the littlest comfort she could have, even if squeezing a child out of one's body practically entailed none. Her head rolled back against his chest before it bent forward once more when the kunoichi felt the familiar blaze of a contraction crawling on her back and midsection. " _Fuck!_ "

The sound of several cracked knuckles sounded throughout the room before they were cloaked by her pained bellows. For a moment, Temari felt sorry about Shikamaru's hands, but she was sure his pain was the bare minimum of what she was feeling at the moment. Heck, she couldn't even pinpoint which hurt most. Her whole body, from the tips of her toes to the ends of her hair, seemed like one glaring splash of pain.

"That's it!" Ino cried in glee. "Give me more of those, Kinpatsu. The head's almost showing."

As soon as another, more potent and searing pain crawled from her orifice towards the rest of her body, Temari gasped as the tower trembled quickly yet violently. Her focus was quickly pulled from the state of the clashing sandstorms outside to the roasting feeling she had on her apex. Her head lulled and rolled on her husband's shoulder and the tears freely flowed as she gave another string of screeches whilst pushing.

Ino's pale blue eyes shone as the head of the baby slipped out, revealing a healthily pink little face. "Nearly there, Temari. Just two more big and long pushes."

The Wind kunoichi's eyes filled with fresh tears, half in pain and half in the warmth that came with hearing her second baby try to gurgle. Her chest filled with fresh determination and she bore down another time, pushing her body to leaps and bounds untraversed before. She felt several muscles pulled, but it wasn't an important idea to dwell on since she felt herself finally empty.

It wasn't long before the tiny baby shrieked and cried, _her_ stomach heaving and arms both daring to try out the extent of the new, capacious environment.

Shikamaru let his own tears fall as he drew a half-tiger seal and produced a bunshin. Said bunshin walked over to Ino's side of the bed and carefully procured the Nara kunai specifically crafted for the purposes of severing the umbilical cord. The medic-nin was quick to clamp the baby's cord, before handing the baby to the awaiting mother. Ino healed Shikamaru's hands in a quick, but careful fashion.

Temari's arms instinctively wound her arms around her newborn, letting the baby gain some more warmth from her naked skin. The kunoichi's tears flowed freely now, as she observed the tiny baby calm down from her first shrieks and cries. Her eyes closed solemnly and she nuzzled her face gently into the infant. When she got a hold of her emotions slightly, she passed her daughter to her husband with a weepy smile on her face.

"I'm ready for you to pull it out of me, Ino," she whispered shakily, bracing herself. The birth detritus was quickly rid of, and for the first time in close to ten months, her stomach finally felt empty. Temari gave out a long, staggering breath as relief washed over her. "Oh, Kami-sama. It's finally over."

"Omedetou, Kinpatsu," Ino greeted softly, giving her friend a small smile before going back to cleaning her friend up, healing her muscles and tears. "Seems like that one's going to be one of us."

The Suna Princess let out a small, tired snort. "Yeah, that's true. Her hair's more like my mother's, though. Darker."

"Beautiful, nonetheless," Shikamaru grinned, cutting in. He gave the baby back to Temari for her first latch.

"I'll give you both a bit of privacy. I'm going to have a shower myself," Ino hummed. "I'll be back in an hour to check on both mother and baby."

Temari reached over to clutch Ino's hand, pulling her into a cramped embrace. "Thank you very much for everything, Ino."

The smirk returned on the Yamanaka's face. "I can be paid in a nice babysitting task so Sai and I can make our second baby."

"I'll take note of that," Temari grinned.

As soon as they were left alone, Shikamaru turned Temari's head and captured her lips in a long, passionate kiss. "You just go and give me more reasons to love you, don't you?"

Her eyes watered once more and Temari chuckled gently, laying her forehead against his. "I just hope you know how much I love you myself, Nakimushi-kun."

"For today, I'll gladly permit the use of that nickname."

Their newborn gurgled, as if complaining that her parents' attention wasn't on her, which made the couple snigger softly.

"I'm only sad that Dai-chan's not here with us," Temari lamented softly, tenderly tracing the smooth cheek of the little infant with the back of her finger.

The Nara clan head nodded in agreement. "We don't have a name yet."

"What did we last agree on?"

"I honestly can't remember. Maybe we should name her Sunaarashi or Ma no Sabaku or Kazekiri. Maybe Kiryu Ranbu? Would you like that, akachan? Mama sort of did some of those and then some unconsciously while giving birth to you," Shikamaru cooed to his daughter.

Temari shot her husband another glare. "I'm not naming our daughter after sandstorms, or the Demon Desert, or any one of my jutsu!"

The unnamed infant unlatched from her mother's breast and protested in a throaty squawk, and Temari was quick to react, soothing the newborn. "Sorry, sorry. Papa's just being so troublesome."

"You said she looked like your mother."

Temari's eyes glanced toward Shikamaru curiously before the kunoichi nodded. "That's right."

"Well, what would you associate with your Kaa-san? Maybe a fond memory or something," Shikamaru hummed, nuzzling into his wife's temple.

The Suna Princess turned melancholic, but smiled as she recalled the very few years that she got to enjoy with her mother. "Well, whenever she would go on trips with Tou-sama, she would bring home lilies and put them in my hair when she would tie them up."

"Lilies, huh?"

"Thinking of the characters we can use?" Temari mused with a soft smile as the newborn busied herself with suckling milk from her mammaries.

"Sayuri is the only thing I can think of at the top of my head."

She looked towards her daughter and observed as she so delicately bats her eyes, as she filled her stomach with sustenance. Then Temari remembers how she demands attention from both her parents at the age of _minutes old_. The baby in her arms seemed like a desert lily: delicate yet filled with attitude, beautiful but fierce. She was the life in the middle of the great Demon Desert…quite literally. "I think it suits her."

"Or we can still name her Kirikiri Mai," he smirked playfully.

"I'll murder you in your sleep if you so insist on it, Anata," she crooned, quite dangerously.

* * *

A/N: AHHHHH! Helloooooo! I finally had a serious plot bunny attack the other day for this story compilation. I know some of you have asked for the third part of the Shikadai awakening the Jiton plot, but that's going to have to wait because I don't know how I'm going to write the next bit. It's like I have a bit of plot going on, but it's not substantial to create the piece I would want you guys to read. So have this tiny little thing for now aka Sayuri's birth! I upped the rating to M, since it has a bit of sensitive talk.

jinrikisha-rickshaw  
norimono-palanquin  
kinpatsu-blondie  
Iryu-nin-medic ninja  
Shishou-master  
Mada ga?-not yet?  
Omedetou-congratulations  
nakimushi-kun - crybaby  
Sunaarashi-sandstorm  
Ma no Sabaku-Demon Desert  
Kazekiri-Wind Cutter  
Kiryu Ranbu-Air Current Wild Dance  
Kirikiri Mai-Quick Beheading Dance  
akachan-baby


End file.
